Does God control evil spirits and sends them to torment people? In the previous post which mentioned 1 Samuel 16 verse 14, we learned that “Saul had an evil spirit from the Lord that tormented him.” That’s not how I think about God! Does God send demons to do his bidding? That’s what Satan isContinue reading “The musical therapist who treated spiritual oppression – 1st Samuel 16, Part 4”
Tag Archives: saul
Samuel’s secret prophetic mission – 1st Samuel 16, Part 1
We’ve had seven weeks in this series on the Life of David, studying the books of 1st and 2nd Samuel, and I’m guessing you’ve noticed that we haven’t met David yet. We’ve had to set the historical context learning about the prophet Samuel, who anointed Israel’s first king, Saul. We then watched as Saul repeatedlyContinue reading “Samuel’s secret prophetic mission – 1st Samuel 16, Part 1”
God doesn’t really want us to go to church services – 1st Samuel 15, Part 5
I recently heard the story of a man is a follower of Jesus, but he allowed his life to go down a pathway that was not in line with the heart of God. This guy started drinking heavily. And it showed. You could drive by his house and over time you could see just fromContinue reading “God doesn’t really want us to go to church services – 1st Samuel 15, Part 5”
What is true repentance? – 1st Samuel 15, Part 4
In the darkening events of 1st Samuel 15, Israel’s King Saul did not obey God, and now God declares that Saul is rejected as king. That gets Saul’s attention. In verse 24, Saul says to the prophet Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the menContinue reading “What is true repentance? – 1st Samuel 15, Part 4”
Is God concerned about how many people show up at worship services? – 1st Samuel 15, Part 3
King Saul is caught. He disobeyed God. But does he realize what he did? God asked Saul to totally destroy the Amalekites, but instead, Saul took the Amalekite king as a prisoner of war, and Saul allowed his men to keep a bunch of the Amalekite’s livestock. As we learned in the previous post, GodContinue reading “Is God concerned about how many people show up at worship services? – 1st Samuel 15, Part 3”
I’m glad that God can feel regret – 1st Samuel 15, Part 2
As we learned in the previous post, in 1st Samuel 15 God commanded Israel’s King Saul to totally destroy the Amalekites. Does King Saul decimate the Amalekites? Yes…and no. In verses 4-9, Saul and the army attack and destroy the Amalekites, but with a couple notable exceptions. They allow the Amalekite king, Agag, to live,Continue reading “I’m glad that God can feel regret – 1st Samuel 15, Part 2”
The deception of worship services (and a bonus topic: Does God command genocide???) – 1st Samuel 15, Part 1
Did Jesus ask us to hold worship services? Did he ask us to build church buildings? Did he want us to have pews? Did Jesus teach us to gather here on Sundays for singing and sermons? In the book Jim & Casper Go To Church, Jim is an evangelical Christian and Casper is Matt Casper,Continue reading “The deception of worship services (and a bonus topic: Does God command genocide???) – 1st Samuel 15, Part 1”
How to have a heart like God’s heart – 1st Samuel 13 & 15, Part 5
Saul, through a priest, has beseeched the Lord for his blessing on attacking the fleeing Philistines. God, however, is not answering. How will Saul respond to God’s silence? Will he be impatient again, unable to wait on the Lord? Actually, no. We read in 1st Samuel 14, verse 38, Saul believes that God’s silence isContinue reading “How to have a heart like God’s heart – 1st Samuel 13 & 15, Part 5”
When (and why) God turned two men into real superheroes – 1st Samuel 13 & 14, Part 4
In my family, I would venture a guess that Batman is the favorite superhero. We’ve watched loads of Batman films and TV shows, and played Batman video games. One of Batman’s signature abilities is a hand-to-hand fighting technique and speed that allows him to fight, successfully, large groups of assailants. Did you know that inContinue reading “When (and why) God turned two men into real superheroes – 1st Samuel 13 & 14, Part 4”
Why King Saul was wrong for sacrificing to God – 1st Samuel 13 & 14, Part 2
Have you ever been caught doing the wrong thing, but just that quickly your mind is spinning a rationale to make yourself appear as thought you were doing the right thing? It’s human nature. We hate getting caught! In the previous post, we learned in 1st Samuel 13 that King Saul didn’t wait for theContinue reading “Why King Saul was wrong for sacrificing to God – 1st Samuel 13 & 14, Part 2”
Engaging Scripture 